On Thursday afternoon, the AWG met in a contact group to consider draft conclusions on the analysis of mitigation potential and indicative ranges of emission reductions for Annex I parties. After the contact group meeting, AWG Chair Charles convened a small informal group that met late into the evening.Photo: AWG Chair Leon Charles consults with delegates from Japan

On Wednesday afternoon, AWG Chair Leon Charles (right) opened the AWG contact group on the analysis of mitigation potential and possible ranges of emission reductions. Drawing attention to the draft conclusions distributed on Wednesday evening, he proposed to work through them paragraph by paragraph. (Vice-Chair Outi Berghäll sits to his left)

Artur Runge-Metzger and Martin Weiss, EU (left), and Thomas Kolly, Switzerland, with Runge-Metzger; The EU, before the convening of the AWG session; during the session, the EU proposed adding a new paragraph noting scientific evidence for the need to ensure that global emissions peak in the next ten to fifteen years and are reduced by 50% by 2050.

Jamil Ahmad, Pakistan, for the G-77/China, thanked other parties for waiting during their coordination meeting

Alf Wills, G-77/China (left), stated that while Article 2 of the Convention's ultimate objective is important, the AWG's work has a special focus and issues related to the bigger picture should be considered in other fora. Oleg Shamanov, Russian Federation (right), on a paragraph concerning the use of scientific information, expressed concerns over wording indicating that the AWG agrees to an initial indicative range of Annex I emission reduction objectives.

AWG Chair Leon Charles with delegates from Japan, who, during their intervention on the draft conclusions, expressed serious concern with a reference to the IPCC's lowest stabilization scenario of 450 ppm, given that the Secretariat's technical paper had referred to a number of possible scenarios.

New Zealand delegates Helen Plume, Adrian Macey and Stuart Dymond; On a paragraph referring to emission reduction ranges and stabilization scenarios contained in the IPCC Working Group III's contribution to the AR4, New Zealand said it should be clear that the aggregate range does not necessarily mean that all parties fall within this.

Martin Khor, Third World Network, and Philip Gwage, Uganda (left), and Bill Hare, Climate Action Network (right); During his intervention, Hare
expressed concern over objections from a number of parties to working on the basis of the IPCC's lowest stabilization scenario that would limit the global temperature increase, above preindustrial levels, to between 2.0 and 2.5°C.

Claudio Forner, UNFCCC Secretariat, consulting with delegates before the convening of the session

Side Event: Economic mitigation potential and pathways toward stabilization - new finding from the IPCC report

This side event included detailed information about bottom-up and top-down studies assessed in the "Climate Change 2007--Mitigation" report, presented also by sector and region, as well as possible emisson pathways towards various stabilization levels.

Side Event: "Dual Market" approach to reducing emissions from tropical deforestation: new option for the future (Center for Clean Air Policy)

Ned Helme, Center for Clean Air Policy, presents CCAP's new proposal, the Dual Markets Approach to supporting reduced deforestation emissions, where developed countries commit to meet a share of their post-2012 national emissions reduction targets by financing deforestation reductions abroad through a new deforestation market